Capitol Bank Celebrates 25th Anniversary by Donating $25,000

Capitol Bank celebrated 25 years in business on October 9, 2020. With an in-person event not possible, they came up with a unique and impactful way to celebrate the milestone instead. The 25 longest-tenured employees of Capitol Bank each selected a non-profit to receive a $1,000 donation. This “$25,000 for 25 Years” campaign was promoted virtually by the Bank and its employees through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

“All that has happened in 2020 really put this milestone in perspective for us. Giving $25,000 was our way of recognizing our employees, customers and community, and it’s been a rewarding experience all around,” said Ken Thompson, President and CEO of Capitol Bank.

While all the donations were special and rewarding in their own way, of notable significance was the $1,000 Thompson chose to have donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – Wisconsin Chapter. Capitol Bank’s former founder and president, Jim Dolister, passed away in 2017 from leukemia. Jim’s wife, Sandy, was in attendance when the donation was presented to LLS in his honor.

In addition to the donations, Capitol Bank asked a few customers, employees and community members to participate in a video to commemorate the month-long celebration.

For a list of the 25 organizations that received the $1,000 donations, and to view the 25^th anniversary videos, click here: https://www.capitolbank.com/25years/

About Capitol Bank: Capitol Bank, locally owned and operated since 1995, is committed to serving the communities in which we live, work and do business. We are proud of the partnerships we have established with organizations, businesses and individuals in the Dane County area. Our philosophy of community support is demonstrated at the corporate level, as well as in the time and energy our employees devote to our community each year. Capitol Bank is Member FDIC.

Contact: Natalie Gregerson
Director of Marketing/Officer
Capitol Bank
710 N. High Point Road
Madison, WI 53717
608.836.1616

DeWitt Attorney Butler Designated Distinguished Faculty by the National Judicial College

MADISON | MILWAUKEE | MINNEAPOLIS – DeWitt LLP announced today Attorney and Former Justice Louis B. Butler Jr., has attained the designation of Distinguished Faculty by the National Judicial College headquartered in Reno, Nev.

This honor is reserved for men and women who have contributed 15 years or more of volunteer teaching service to the College, where judges from across the nation and around the world take continuing judicial education classes. In the more than half-century that the College has existed, fewer than 150 individuals have taught for 15 or more years.

As the first African American to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Attorney Butler participated in many decisions which have had significant legal impacts in the State of Wisconsin. In addition to being a law instructor, he spent a great portion of his career as a public servant, acting as a criminal defense attorney, an appellate attorney, a state court judge and city judge as well.

Since his time on the bench, Louis, who recently retired, focused his private practice on providing his clients with advice in litigation, construction litigation, environmental issues and appellate matters. He also had more than nine years of exclusive criminal appellate experience.

Attorney Butler, who earned a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School and a B.A. from Lawrence University, also holds an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities (2007) from Lawrence.

About DeWitt

DeWitt LLP is one of the ten largest law firms based in Wisconsin, with an additional presence in Minnesota. It has nearly 140 attorneys practicing in Madison and Metropolitan Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, in a variety of legal areas and has the experience to service clients of all scopes and sizes. The firm is known for its work in several areas, including intellectual property, patents, trademarks and copyright law, construction litigation, corporate law, employment, environmental, employee benefits, estate planning, family law, government relations, health care, litigation, real estate, and tax law.  More information is available at dewittllp.com.

Seven More Wisconsin Nonprofits to be Powered by Renewable Energy through RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good Program

RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good program has awarded over $190,000 in cash grants and materials to Wisconsin nonprofits for installing on-site solar energy systems. Seventeen organizations will install 719 kilowatts of clean, renewable electricity leading to nearly $1.4 million in renewable energy investments in Wisconsin.

The following organizations have been offered Fall 2020 Solar for Good grants to install new solar electric systems:

All Saints Lutheran Church, house of worship, Fitchburg.

Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, after-school youth programming, Madison.

Community Clothes Closet, free clothing provider, Menasha.

Couleecap Inc, poverty alleviation, Westby.

Ezekiel Lutheran Church, house of worship, River Falls.

Friends of Sauk County Fairgrounds, historic preservation, Baraboo.

Grace Evangelical Free Church, house of worship, Viroqua.

Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, affordable housing provider, Madison.

Habitat for Humanity Restore, affordable housing support, Beaver Dam.

Just One More Ministry, food pantry, Glendale.

Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity Restore, affordable housing support, Greenfield.

Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, house of worship, Madison.

The BRICK Ministries, poverty alleviation and food pantry, Ashland.

Walnut Way Conservation Corps, community conservation organization, Milwaukee.

Yerkes Future Foundation, education and historic preservation, Williams Bay.

Two organizations have asked to remain anonymous at this time.

This round of Solar for Good grants features a diverse group of organizations from across Wisconsin. The Boys and Girls Club of Dane County will install over 250 panels at their Madison-based facility and plan to demonstrate the benefits of solar energy to the young people they serve. An 11-kilowatt array will be installed at the BRICK Ministries in Ashland with the help of donated solar panels from One Energy Renewables, a large-scale solar developer. And a 60-kilowatt array is planned at the famous Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, home of the world’s largest refracting telescope used for astronomical research.

“The grant and the installation of solar panels underscores the ongoing value of Yerkes Observatory as a place for scientific discovery and education,” stated Dianna Colman of Yerkes Future Foundation. “Students and visitors will experience firsthand the impact of solar power…even on a building dating back to 1897.”

In addition to the Couillard Solar Foundation, Solar for Good’s founding funder, this cycle of grants also received backing from the Array it Forward initiative at First Unitarian Society in Madison. The First Unitarian Society won a Solar for Good grant in 2018 and wanted to share the benefits they received from their solar array with other nonprofits across Wisconsin. Array it Forward is made possible through donations solicited from their congregation and the community.

“Solar for Good shares our values and priorities for stabilizing our climate and speeding our transition to renewable energy,” said Carol Phelps, a contributing donor to Array it Forward. “This will make life better for the children of the world…when people unite to tackle climate change, there is great hope for the future.”

The 17 nonprofit organizations are a part of Solar for Good’s 7th round of funding. Since its inception in 2017, Solar for Good has offered solar grants to 96 Wisconsin-based nonprofits.

When each of the solar projects are energized, these nonprofits will have added over 4 megawatts of clean, renewable energy to Wisconsin’s electric mix, enough to power approximately 900 homes. Solar for Good projects will represent a total of $9.2 million of private investments in Wisconsin renewable energy over the past three years.

About Solar for Good RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good initiative fosters the expansion of solar power among mission-based nonprofits and houses of worship in Wisconsin. Through a generous partnership with Couillard Solar Foundation and Array it Forward, RENEW Wisconsin awards grants and solar panels to nonprofit organizations, helping them switch to clean, renewable, solar energy. 

About RENEW Wisconsin RENEW Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization which promotes renewable energy in Wisconsin. We work on policies and programs that support solar power, wind power, biogas, local hydropower, geothermal energy, and electric vehicles. More information on RENEW’s website: www.renewwisconsin.org.

Monona Terrace Achieves GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation

Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center has achieved Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities. Under the guidance of GBAC, a Division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, Monona Terrace has implemented the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention in its facility.

As the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation, GBAC STAR™ helps organizations establish protocols and procedures, offers expert-led training and assesses a facility’s readiness for biorisk situations. The program verifies that Monona Terrace implements best practices to prepare for, respond to and recover from outbreaks and pandemics.

“GBAC STAR accreditation empowers facility owners and managers to assure workers, customers and key stakeholders that they have proven systems in place to maintain clean and healthy environments,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger.

To achieve GBAC STAR™ accreditation, Monona Terrace was required to demonstrate compliance with the program’s 20 core elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment and emergency preparedness and response measures.

“This accreditation demonstrates that we have strict safety protocols in place, are prepared, and committed to operating our facility safely for our employees and guests,” said Monona Terrace Executive Director Connie Thompson.

Learn more about GBAC STAR accreditation at www.gbac.org.

About Monona Terrace, an iconic community and convention center on Lake Monona in gorgeous downtown Madison, Wisconsin, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The 250,000 square foot LEED Gold facility hosts 500 to 600 events each year, generating over $33 million in economic impact for the community from conferences and conventions. Monona Terrace also provides over 100 free or low cost community events. Monona Terrace’s mission is to deliver an exceptional and inspirational experience. www.mononaterrace.com

About GBAC, a Division of ISSA
Composed of international leaders in the field of microbial-pathogenic threat analysis, mitigation, response and recovery, the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, provides training, guidance, accreditation, certification, crisis management assistance and leadership to government, commercial and private entities looking to mitigate, quickly address and/or recover from biological threats and real-time crises. The organization’s services include biorisk management program assessment and training, Forensic Restoration® response and remediation, the GBAC STAR™ facility accreditation program, training and certification of individuals and consulting for building owners and facility managers. For more information, visit www.gbac.org .

About ISSA, With more than 9,300 members—including distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, wholesalers, building service contractors, in-house service providers, residential cleaners and associated service members—ISSA is the world’s leading trade association for the cleaning industry. The association is committed to changing the way the world views cleaning by providing its members with the business tools they need to promote cleaning as an investment in human health, the environment and an improved bottom line. Headquartered in Northbrook, Ill., USA, the association has regional offices in Mainz, Germany; Whitby, Canada; Parramatta, Australia; Seoul, South Korea; and Shanghai, China. For more information about ISSA, visit www.issa.com or call 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800.

Sub-Zero Freezer Company Celebrates 75 Years of Premier American Manufacturing

Third-Generation, Family-Owned Appliance Company Pioneered Industry Innovations and Has Thrived With Strategic Acquisition and Thoughtful Expansion

Madison, Wis. (August 20, 2020) – This month marks the 75^th birthday of one of the most storied brands in American manufacturing. Sub-Zero began as an engineering challenge for Westye F. Bakke – fighting to find a way to store his son’s insulin at a consistent temperature – and involved several years of helping architect Frank Lloyd Wright customize refrigerators to fit his infamous design style. The Sub-Zero Freezer Company was officially formed on August 20, 1945, in Madison, Wisconsin.

Sub-Zero Group, Inc., as it is known today, has trailblazed technological and design innovation across dozens of product lines over the decades – not only within the refrigeration space, but with the development of its Wolf cooking line and the recent launch of its Cove dishwashing brand.

In 1972, Westye Bakke handed the company reins to son Bud Bakke, who spearheaded the creation of a new, lightweight, all-aluminum freezer – an upright model with separate inside doors rather than a top-opening chest freezer. He also led development of the built-in refrigerator unit, which changed the future of kitchen design by fitting within surrounding counter and cabinet space.

Bud’s son, Jim Bakke, was named CEO in 1992. Facing aggressive category growth and competition from full-line manufacturers, he recognized the need for Sub-Zero to expand beyond its mainstay of refrigeration. Jim and his team worked to develop a residential cooking line and bought the brand rights to the Wolf name, a primarily commercial-focused brand known for its recognizable red knobs.  The company introduced 13 new Wolf products from 2001 to 2004 and grew to five times its initial size over the next decade. Jim Bakke also led the development of the dishwashing line Cove, which debuted in 2019, and has entrenched the iconic Sub-Zero brand with considerable enhancements and expanded Wolf’s dominance with next-generation cooking products. Jim still leads the company to this day from its headquarters in Madison.   

“Customers reach out to us all the time. Their Sub-Zero units are 30, sometimes 40 years old and still going strong. We are keenly aware of our heritage and see it as our obligation to be the specialists in not only refrigeration but in cooking and cleaning products for the kitchen – and in whatever we do in the next 75 years,” says CEO Jim Bakke.

The company’s senior vice president of marketing and innovation, Tim McDonough, has this to say about the milestone: “This is a company that is passionate about the role its appliances play in the lives, and kitchens, of homeowners. We’re continually looking for ways to bring new, intelligent approaches to the table, and we manufacture them to last for generations.”

Sub-Zero Group’s impact on the kitchen appliance industry is marked with numerous “firsts,” including:

• 1943: Westye F. Bakke built his first freestanding freezer prototype out of salvaged scrap metal in his basement. Bakke bent the unit’s coils barehanded and improvised any materials that were lacking because supplies were scarce during World War II.
• 1945: Bakke founded Sub-Zero Freezer Company in Madison, Wisconsin. The Sub-Zero name was chosen because its freezers were the first to meet the strict quality standards for below-zero safety in freezing food.
• 1955: Sub-Zero pioneered dual refrigeration – separate, sealed systems for the refrigerator and freezer.
• Late 1950s: Sub-Zero changed the built-in refrigeration category by introducing the first-ever cabinet-flush unit. The company also modified built-in design to allow for recessed fronts. This enabled the complete customization of each unit to match the kitchen’s overall décor. The refrigerator, once considered the least attractive appliance in American kitchens, became an elegant and beautiful workhorse.
• 1990s: Revolutionary integrated designs, another Sub-Zero first, made refrigeration units blend seamlessly into kitchen décor.
• 1993: Sub-Zero kicked off its inaugural Kitchen Design Contest to recognize talented designers who utilize Sub-Zero appliances to rethink what is possible for the kitchen.
• 2000: Sub-Zero expanded its expertise in the kitchen with the acquisition of Wolf, a legend in commercial kitchens. Now the brand offers residential ranges, ovens, cooktops and ventilation with performance power that home cooks have never experienced before.
• 2005: The PRO 48 professional-style refrigeration unit, a monument to food preservation, was unveiled. The PRO 48 keeps food fresher longer with dual refrigeration and is crafted out of stainless steel, inside and out.
• 2006: Wolf revealed its first dual fuel range: gas cooking above, dual convection electric ovens below.
• 2008: Sub-Zero introduced an antimicrobial air purification system based on NASA technology. The technology scrubs the air of ethylene gas as well as mold, viruses and bacteria that cause foods to spoil.
• 2013: Sub-Zero and Wolf introduced a new generation with the biggest new-product rollout in the company’s history. Seventy new appliances. Exclusive technologies. Novel décor possibilities.
• 2018: Sub-Zero and Wolf launched state-of-the-art dishwashers under the brand name Cove, completing the trifecta of kitchen appliances. Cove units are engineered with the same commitment to quality and innovation shared by Sub-Zero and Wolf, and Cove similarly serves as a single-focus kitchen specialist.

About Sub-Zero Group, Inc.

Sub-Zero Group, Inc., headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, manufactures best-in-class appliance brands Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove. Founded in 1945, Sub-Zero, Inc., is the leading American-based manufacturer of refrigeration, freezer and wine storage products. Sub-Zero, the preservation specialist, pioneered the concept of dual refrigeration, ensuring that food stays fresher longer. With the acquisition of Wolf Range Company in 2000, Sub-Zero Group, Inc., added the industry specialist in residential cooking appliances, with products including ranges, cooktops, wall ovens, warming drawers and ventilation equipment. In 2018, Sub-Zero Group, Inc., launched the Cove brand of dishwashers, the specialist in all things clean. Cove joins Sub-Zero and Wolf, establishing the brands as corporate companions and a complete kitchen family. In its third generation of family ownership, the privately held company also operates manufacturing facilities in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, and Goodyear, Arizona. Sub-Zero Group, Inc., is continually recognized for the highest achievements in appliance innovation and customer satisfaction. For more information about Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove, visit subzero-wolf.com or follow us at Facebook.com/subzerowolf, on Twitter @subzerowolf or on Instagram @subzeroandwolf. For Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Customer Care, call 800-222-7820.

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